


What's That?

by catatonicStatiske



Category: The Enemy Series - Charlie Higson
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, Pining, i will revive this fandom with my bare fucking hands, mark my words, yeah i hc that ed is nuerodivergant fuck you
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:40:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26591533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catatonicStatiske/pseuds/catatonicStatiske
Summary: "Constant nightmares? For this long and you didn't bother to tell me? I thought we were friends Ed." Jack smiled pushing his fingers through his short hair unlike the haunting images of Jack with longer, darker brown hair with dried blood sticking together some of the ends."Sorry Jack," Ed pursed his lips, as talking again seemed to ground him from his wavering throughts. "I didn't know how'd you'd react to the subject. Didn't want to scare you off or anything." Ed worded carefully glancing over Jack's facial features before running his fingers along his blanket's fabrics. It felt cool."Scare me? Dude, I'm your best friend no night terror of your's going to scare me off. What are they about?" Jack asked curiously hoping to find the source of whats been happening to Ed.Jack has noticed his friend acting differently from the day he began to, of course like a reliable companion but he said nothing. He was happy that Ed seemed to be telling him about what has been going on and why Ed seems to stare holes into the back of his head during classes."They're..." Ed swallowed dryly his mouth suddenly parched and barren. "Jack, they're about you."
Relationships: Ed Carter & Jack, Ed Carter/Jack
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	What's That?

The day started like any other to Ed.

Well at least since the Scared Kid viral video on the YouTube platform before that it could be counted as normal and went on the same but for Ed despite the video being a hoax he couldn't wrap his brain around why it was so real and terrifying.

Another thing he wouldn't be able to wrap his head around is why he kept having nightmares. Similar nightmares that seemed to blend together with them with the same story, people and outcome. Like a canvas being painted gradually over time, every line taking more and more exhausting, sweat filled nightmare.

It didn't start exactly after the video came out, no. It started a couple months after, the day after there were huge tufts of clouds in the sky, the rain clouds almost seeming to be smoke from a huge fire.

He and Jack were hanging out as it was after school on a Thursday afternoon riding their bikes around their town as his parents rarely would be worried unless they were out after dark because he tended to be out and playing around in the Summer afternoons. It was expected of him, he couldn't settle down for long his parents and sister would say, naturally because he was athletic.

But when his head hit his bed's pillow that night he took one last look at his messy carpet floor before falling asleep only to wake up from a vauge night terror covered in cold sweat. He couldn't remember what happened, only could remember Jack's room, his own messed up face in a mirror and Jack's prized stuffed animal, Floppy Dog in his rough hands.

As time went on the nightmares got more frequent and Ed couldn't take it, going to his very friend that was in so many of his nightmares. And at his very own house no less in the room lying on the bed with him stomach to the sheets. He almost was relieved when Jack didn't look at him with weirded out frown, his birthmark almost making him think he was angry at Ed. It happened a lot and reliazing he wasn't mad always made him feel like he did something right.

"Constant nightmares? For this long and you didn't bother to tell me? I thought we were friends Ed." Jack smiled pushing his fingers through his short hair unlike the haunting images of Jack with longer, darker brown hair with dried blood sticking together some of the ends.

"Sorry Jack," Ed pursed his lips, as talking again seemed to ground him from his wavering throughts. "I didn't know how'd you'd react to the subject. Didn't want to scare you off or anything." Ed worded carefully glancing over Jack's facial features before running his fingers along his blanket's fabrics. It felt cool.

"Scare me? Dude, I'm your best friend no night terror of your's going to scare me off. What are they about?" Jack asked curiously hoping to find the source of whats been happening to Ed.

Jack has noticed his friend acting differently from the day he began to, of course like a reliable companion but he said nothing. He was happy that Ed seemed to be telling him about what has been going on and why Ed seems to stare holes into the back of his head during classes.

"They're..." Ed swallowed dryly his mouth suddenly parched and barren. "Jack, they're about you."

"Yeah? What about me?" Jack raised an eyebrow, curiosity peaking slightly.

"I can't remember exactly but I know it involves you, me and Bam." Ed sighed picking at his collar on his striped shirt, fidgeting. Jack eyed Ed's fingers before holding out a hand to Ed, momentarily pausing their conversation so Ed could properly stim by squeezing his hand.

Ed responded with his hand wrapping around Jack's taking it in and blushing slightly. No matter how many times they've done this whether it be in public or in private he always gets slightly flustered over it. He doesn't even want to get into the mess that is his feelings for the male who seems to blow up whenever you point a finger his way about him doing wrong.

"Bam? Like that one player on the Rugby team? Are you guys good friends and I've just been distracted the whole time? C'mon don't tell me I missed the bromance." Jack joked as Ed sighed in annoyance.

"You act like I have any idea why Bam's in my nightmares. Apparently my brain does what it wants even if it scares the shit out of me." Ed bitterly explained watching Jack's smile turn into a tight line before he would reach his hand out to pat Ed's shoulder.

"Maybe they'll go away and you'll forget about them." Jack tried to reassure attempting to sympathize. "Even if they would go away sooner or later," Ed somewhat let out a half scoff and half sigh. "I wouldn't be able to forget some of the pieces of my nightmares. They're vivid despite being blurry as hell. Like a photograph with bright colours but it comes out all unfocused."

Jack laughed slinging an arm on Ed's shoulder making him let out a shakey breath looking over to Jack's eyes. "Why are you comparing your dreams to photos man? Sounds to me you're thinking about metaphors when comparing them to your dreams and not your own English schoolwork."

Ed let out a scoff in embarrassment.

* * *

Ed almost felt the tears run down his cheeks, but they stay welled up in his eyes as he stared at his friend since early elementary school lay in his own dusty bed. Bam was gone, he didn't have Jack, his friend, his crush, his everything for much longer. To have him slip through his fingers just like his family. His mom and dad...his sister. What is he going to do? Where is he going to go?

He was nothing without Jack, just a kid named Ed with a new wound near his eye left from the stupid sicko that he previously knew. His thoughts wondered back to the adult, Greg, and his now dead son Liam. He hated Greg with everything in his soul, not about the freshly scabbed up and tissue crusted wound on his eye but for murdering all he had left.

Bam was a great friend, a great fighter and a reliable person in general in all situations. It made him sick that Greg could make such a indestructible kid to a corpse bleeding in the gutter. And Jack.

Ed peered up from his crossed arms that he tucked his head into in order to avoid the sight of Jack. Jack was laying up with his mouth open slightly, his chest thankfully heaving with breath.

He didn't know how long that'd last though. He wouldn't last through the night and if he did he'd literally be ecstatic. However he didn't want to drag around his very injured partner as it would be difficult not only with the sickos but the large fire as well burning up the whole half of London itself.

His front teeth dug into his lips before slipping his hands into his dirty and ragged blond hair. He let his eyes bore at Jack's almost lifeless body before letting them close allowing his building up tears to fall again. A choking sob left his throat leaving him a crying mess. 

Ed couldn't believe this was happening, everything was so crazy he just wanted to go back to-

"Hey....Ed." Ed jumped slightly his eyes seering over to Jack who looked to the side at him. "What's...wrong?"

Ed stayed silent eyes scanning over Jack a lump in his throat eyes glazed over red and tear filled. He opened his mouth to respond but closed it watching Jack move his paler hands slightly. His finger tips twitched before jabbing the under side of the dog's ears in his hands that was given to him by Ed. 

Jack dryly chuckled watching as he moved his stuffed animal to shake his long ears slightly. "See? Even Floppy Dog wants to know what's wrong." He weakly smiled over to Ed even if it looked like moving a single muscle in his face caused him pain.

Ed stared for a few moments before his temple pounded and tears came back fresh and new. "Jack....don't leave me please.." He stood up from the chair he was resting on at Jack's side quickly. "We....we can go back to the museum with Jordan..see Brooke again. Even...Fred." Ed resisted the urge to groan at himself mentioning the girl that Jack previously kissed before jumping of the truck as Ed and Bam followed him soon.

It made him sick but he was gushing all his hopes out to Jack who looked confused and for once even with his birthmark there was no trace of anger. Jack shook his head grabbing onto Ed's hands weakly squeezing them with his own. "No...um." Jack seemed to look to the side away from Ed as if trying to remember what happened in the last few hours that he lost due to dizziness, fatigue and just plain blood loss. "Ed..I'm fine just being here with you." 

Ed bit his lip seeing Jack slightly tear up. "B-but the muesem....Jack you can't just end it here we made it through so much.. C'mon we're best friends." 

Jack seemed to be slipping back to sleep again a smile on his lips before he whispered, "Yeah...best friends.." He closed his eyes. 

"Goodnight Ed."

"Goodnight Jack."

Ed passed out at some point thinking about everything and woke back up in the morning. Jack never woke up.

* * *

Ed's head shot up from his pillow, teeth chattering and heart pounding against his ribs. Sobs racked from his mouth and his eyes were wide in realisation. His hands pawed through the darkness before feeling a cold screen and dragging it to his eyes.

The cold sensation made him let out a deep breath and turn on his phone the screen making his watery eyes squint looking through his contacts on auto looking for the four letter word that he was looking for. 

Pressing the call button he moved it to his ear biting his thumb and waiting for the ringer sound to stop. It lasted for four moments before he seemed to pick up.

"Ed? What the hell it's bloody three in the morning!" Jack shouted through the speaker making Ed rub his unoccupied fingers together for a moment.

Once again Ed's mouth seemed very dry and he couldn't speak sitting in silence as the other end seemed to be quiet as well.

"..Ed?" Jack's confused voice rang through the phone as if he wasn't even upset anymore. Ed let out a sound and breath he didn't realize he was holding in. His lungs seemed to be full of air again.

"Jack..."


End file.
